The Twin Bird and Lotus Trilogy

Today's painting is the third of the trilogy of the twin-bird-and-lotus theme drawn ala Gong Pi style, the other two being here and here, from eyeing each other, to swooping down together, to seeking refuge in unison, all centered around the Lotus, the symbol of purity.

The Richness of China Rose

For the rose painting series I started several blogs ago, I have been using a Chinese painting guidebook bought online here. It's entitled How To Draw Peony and China Rose, the second in the Entry series on The Technique of Chinese Painting published by Art Book Co. Ltd, Taiwan in 2005 (see book cover on right), and is one of the best investment I have ever made. The first edition appeared in 1991 and its 71 pages are filled with lucid instructions with excellent explanation on the uniqueness and the distillation of simplicity from complexity that peony and rose appear to the naked eye and their uncanny interpretation on canvas. The roses then have been painted starting from line sketches of a selected scene that projects a tight collection and yet evinces logical arrangement to avoid taking in everything that would only result in clutteredness. This is then followed by coloring in using Chinese brush comprising layered hues of either the dense or dilute forms, or even mixed, to bring out the magnificence of color blend that is the hallmark of the Gong Pi style. The following two paintings follow in the same tradition.

Gong Pi by any other name ...

There are several English translations of the Gong Pi style of Chinese brush painting, one of which is the title of a painting book Harriet Lin bought for me when she visited Taiwan recently, Elaborated Style of Flower and Bird Paintings by Yu-shia Liou (published in Taiwan, 2001). I learned several techniques from the book and here are the results.

Flowers in Fine Print

The elegance is in the details, a kind of euphemism for the Gong Pi style. The first two are by Mrs. Kim, and the third by the other half of the buddy painters, yours truly.

Painting Gong Pi Style in a Group

We had our monthly painting class today, this time in Sister Linda's house, six of us, including our teacher, Mrs. Celia Fan, spreading around a big table with ample elbow room for each. I painted two in order to compare the different color tones.

Bamboo: simple and elegant

The simple elegance of bamboo is brought forth in the Gong Pi style painting.

The 2-stage Gong Pi flower painting

The buddies started on the first half of Gong Pi style flower painting in today's session but only mine went to print as Mrs. Kim took hers home for later coloring in next week while I managed to finish one last night. So, one outlined, and one colored.

4 + 1 The Colored Version

The four colored versions of the earlier outline images plus a makeover of an earlier one complete this episode of Gong Pi adventure.

4 + 1 Gong Pi Style

The 4 refers to the number of outline images drawn for coloring in later while 1, coloring completed.

Gold-Laced Peony

For a change, this is a gold-laced Peony drawn the Gong Pi style.

Seeing double in buddy session

Almost. That's because Mrs. Kim and I painted a similar flower pattern the Gong Pi style. I have tried to emulate her lighter color scheme as seen on the top image since I think it looks soothing.

Bamboo transiting into flowers ...

More bamboo scenes easing into flowers, drawn in the Gong Pi style for coloring in later on, forms a tapestry of themes in transition.

The Gong Pi Sets

We, the painting buddy twosome, continued with painting the Gong Pi style by first outlining several base sets in today's session, to be colored in later.

And she came bearing gifts, as usual, tomorrow being Valentine's Day: a vase of elegant tulips.


Ealier on she also gave me a beautiful vase that she has made in her pottery class. Thank you, Mrs. Kim.

Going Gong Pi Style

In today's buddy painting session, Mrs. Kim ventured into the Gong Pi style of brush painting. And here are the fruits of our labor.

The Art of Drawing Mudan (Peony)'s Leaves

It has said that the leaves complement and enhance the elegance of the flowers while remaining in a subsidiary but necessary role. Therefore, second only to the flowers, drawing the leaves is an art unto itself, requiring exquisite strokes that follow certain patterns to bring out the sinuosity of the veins and the wavy outlines of the edges. Here I have concentrated on practicing drawing the leaves of the Mudan as part of my exercise in learning the Gong Pi style.

Flower Painting, Gong Pi Style, Part 2

It may seem that I have finished the flower painting ahead of the next painting class by coloring in the lines drawn in the last class. But it is not. I drew another one today, a larger one, and proceeded to color in to complete the task. Because of the nature of this particular type of rice paper, the coloring has smeared beyond the lines, even though I had tried my best to keep within the lines.

So there will be a part 3 yet, after the next painting class scheduled for March 1.